OpenAI forges closer ties with IBM in enterprise push

IBM and OpenAI have partnered up to help customers deploy AI at scale for core business operations.

Under the deal, IBM will create a dedicated OpenAI Practice, training thousands of consultants and engineers for expert-level certifications through the OpenAI Partner Network.

OpenAI models and products will be combined with IBM Consulting technology and expertise, the duo said, with the first areas to be targeted including financial services, government, telecommunications, and financial services.

“The organizations pulling ahead with AI are the ones turning it into a trusted part of how their business operates,” said Denise Dresser, former chief revenue officer at OpenAI.

“IBM Consulting and OpenAI are helping organizations make that shift, combining deep transformation expertise to deploy AI that is secure, operational, and aligned with real business priorities.”

Driving adoption rates

According to the two firms, the partnership will focus on applying AI to specific business industry processes, while also modernizing applications, redesigning back-office workflows, and strengthening cybersecurity.

"We’re starting with the business use case,” said Michael Healy, managing partner of offerings, assets and generative AI at IBM Consulting. “Then we bring IBM’s process transformation and industry expertise together with OpenAI’s models to change how that work actually gets done.”

OpenAI frontier models like GPT-5.6 and products such as Codex and ChatGPT Work will be embedded into IBM’s AI platform for delivering consulting services, IBM Consulting Advantage.

This will allow operating procedures and workflows to be analyzed to identify inefficiencies and help teams automate and streamline work using AI across finance, procurement, customer operations, and HR.

Tech modernization

As part of the deal, IBM said the duo also plan to help clients modernize legacy applications and accelerate software development by bringing together OpenAI Codex and ChatGPT Work with IBM’s industry, technology and domain expertise, including integration.

Here, the aim is to help organizations simplify engineering processes and speed up the delivery of new digital products and services.

“Codex as a coding assistant will accelerate the application development modernization cycle in combination with IBM Consulting Advantage’s coding harness and OpenAI’s models,” said Healy.

Following IBM’s participation in the OpenAI Daybreak Cyber Partner Program, the duo will expand their collaboration on cybersecurity.

This will involve combining OpenAI frontier AI capabilities with IBM Autonomous Security. This is an agentic AI service designed to deliver coordinated decision-making, response, and intelligence for cyber professionals.

“While enterprises are rapidly investing in AI, they are looking for practical ways to apply it across their core operations to deliver measurable business outcomes and create new commercial models,” said Andy Baldwin, global senior vice president, IBM Consulting.

“The challenge is not access to AI technologies — it’s integrating AI securely and at scale into complex enterprise environments and workflows. By embedding OpenAI’s technology with IBM Consulting’s AI assets, industry solutions, and cybersecurity capabilities, we can help clients accelerate secure, AI deployments at scale.”

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